LONDON — The exhaustive hunt to find the next James Bond has entered a decisive stage, with a small group of British contenders scheduled to undergo rigorous on-camera auditions in London, industry trade publications reported.
Actors Callum Turner and Jack Lowden are among the finalists set to screen-test for the iconic role of agent 007, according to reporting by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. Deadline reported that Amazon MGM Studios has narrowed the field to four performers who are testing through the coming week, identifying Turner, Lowden, and Josh O’Connor alongside an unnamed fourth contender.
The secretive auditions are expected to evaluate candidates across three specific areas: stunt choreography, dialogue delivery, and camera presence, The Guardian reported. Industry sources told The Hollywood Reporter that earlier speculation surrounding actors Jacob Elordi and Jack O’Connell was inaccurate, noting neither performer is taking part in the tests.
A franchise in transition
The role became vacant after Daniel Craig concluded his five-movie tenure with 2021’s “No Time to Die.” Finding Craig’s successor marks the first full round of Bond screen tests in two decades, dating back to the auditions that preceded the 2006 reboot “Casino Royale.”
Amazon acquired the rights to the franchise when it finalized an $8.45 billion purchase of MGM in 2022. The company later spent more than $1 billion to gain creative control from longtime Bond stewards the Broccoli family, according to The Guardian. In April, Courtenay Valenti, head of film at Amazon, asked audiences to remain patient during the selection.
“Please know that we’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect,” Valenti said. “It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter, and it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly.”
Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment directly on the ongoing casting reports, reiterating that the search remains underway and that formal updates will arrive once the process is complete, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
The creative team in place
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is attached to direct the forthcoming installment, with “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight writing the screenplay, The Guardian reported. Villeneuve, who is scheduled to release “Dune: Messiah” this December, cited his long-standing enthusiasm for the spy series as his motivation to step away from his sci-fi commitments.
Villeneuve told Empire that following years spent on the desert sands of Arrakis, taking charge of 007 provided the exact creative spark he required to pivot to a fresh canvas.
Although production could begin next year, the next Bond adventure is widely eyed for theatrical release in 2028. That target date would establish an unprecedented seven-year gap between installments, surpassing the previous record interval between Timothy Dalton’s 1989 film “Licence to Kill” and Pierce Brosnan’s 1995 debut in “GoldenEye.”
